OBJECTIVETo observe clinical therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture combined with medicine on acute gouty arthritis and effect on blood uric acid content.

METHODSOne hundred cases of acute gouty arthritis were randomly divided into 3 groups, an electroacupuncture group treated by acupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36), Fenglong (ST 40) and Ashi points, a Western medicine group by oral administration of indometacin and benzbromarone, and a combined electroacupuncture and medicine group by electroacupuncture combined with the Western medicine. The changes of their blood uric acid levels before and after treatment were detected and their therapeutic effects were compared.

RESULTSThere was a significant difference among the three groups in clinical therapeutic effect (P < 0.05), and the effective rate was respectively 97.5%, 90.0% and 86.7% in the combined electroacupuncture and medicine group, the electroacupuncture group and the Western medicine group, the combined electroacupuncture and medicine group being significantly higher than the electroacupuncture group and the Western medicine group; after treatment, the blood uric acid level in all the 3 groups had significant change (P < 0.05), the blood uric acid in the combined electroacupuncture and medicine group had more obvious decrease as compared with those in the electroacupuncture group or the Western medicine group.

CONCLUSIONElectroacupuncture combined with the Western medicine has a definite therapeutic effect on acute gouty arthritis.